A near pair of framed engravings from the Illustrated London News ‘The Launch of the Great Britain Steam Ship’and‘The “Great Eastern” Steam-Ship At Sea’, July 29th 1843 and December 4th 1858, 28” x 23” approximately. Brunel’s SS Great Britain was built in Bristol in the Great Western Dock and was launched on 19 July 1843. Brunel’s PS Great Eastern was built on the banks of the Thames at Blackwall and, after a long & arduous 3 month struggle, was eventually launched on 31 January 1858. This took its toll on Brunel’s health and, just before the Great Eastern made her first voyage to New York, he suffered a stroke and died on 15 September 1859 at the age of 53